Metal Storm logo
Nightwish - Angels Fall First



7.6 | 845 votes |
Release date: 1 November 1997
Style: Symphonic power metal

Owners:

935 have it
28 want it
5 trade it


01. Elvenpath
02. Beauty And The Beast
03. The Carpenter
04. Astral Romance
05. Angels Fall First
06. Tutankhamen
07. Nymphomaniac Fantasia
08. Know Why The Nightingale Sings
09. Lappi (Lapland)
    1 - I: Erämaajärvi
    2 - II: Witchdrums
    3 - III: This Moment Is Eternity
    4 - IV: Etiäinen
10. Once Upon A Troubadour [2004 digipack Spinefarm re-release bonus]
11. A Return To The Sea [2004 digipack Spinefarm re-release bonus]
12. A Return To The Sea [2007 re-release bonus]
13. Nightwish [demo] [2007 re-release bonus]
14. The Forever Moments [demo] [2007 re-release bonus]
15. Etiäinen [demo] [2007 re-release bonus]

Additional info
The original pressing by Spinefarm in 1997 was limited to 500 hand-numbered copies.

Recorded, engineered and mixed by Tero Kinnunen at Kitee Huvikeskus studio.
Tracks 3,4,5,7,9 - April-May 1997, tracks 1,2,6,8 - September 1997.
Mastered at Finnvox Studios by Mika Jussila.
Produced by Tuomas & Nightwish.

Cover photo by Gary Black.

Guest review by
Lanfawn
Rating:
7.0
Nightwish is the band among bands. The epic among epics. The... oh you get the point. This Finnish power/symphonic metal act has more or less acquired a status of having no truly bad songs. Even those who are not fully Nightwish enthusiasts (unlike me) often have a hard time finding something really big to complain about. That's partly what this album is here for! Angels Fall First, the first release by Nightwish was quite odd. The band lacked a bass player at this point and they were still pretty inexperienced, not to mention that the lyrics were very weird. I'd give you examples, but you wouldn't believe me. Let's take a dive in the world of 1997's Nightwish.

Read more ››
published 07.05.2004 | Comments (16)

Guest review by
Bad English
Rating:
9.1
Almost 20 years have passed since Nightwish released their debut album Angels Fall First. Many things have changed, but after their latest album Endless Forms Most Beautiful was released 2 months ago, I have been wondering which album is their best and who is Nightwish, what does this band stand for?

Listening to the latest one, and comparing it, I really think it is a masterpiece, because it brings us back to days when genre was young, when bands played what they felt, when they were influential, not inspired by others (mostly starters of genre). This is middle '90s gothic without unnecessary, boring and progressive keyboard parts. Keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen is the main man in this band - songwriter, poet, and lyricist - but in this album you don't hear anything that should not be there, because Tarja's stunning voice blows everyone away. Keyboard element flows like in one melody; a mix between guitars, drums, and Tarja's vocals.

Read more ››
published 27.05.2015 | Comments (40)

Found in 33 lists
Top lists



Comments

Comments: 21   Visited by: 921 users
06.05.2010 - 13:56
Rating: 6
Justicelust

Not a good debut but i'm glad they developed
Loading...
06.05.2010 - 15:19
Ellrohir
Heaven Knight
I think it was an excellent debut...but followed by even better albums
----
My rest seems now calm and deep
Finally I got my dead man sleep


Loading...
30.09.2012 - 02:26
Valentin B
Iconoclast
Definitely an odd debut, but compared to the ultra-polished later NW albums (from Once onwards) this sounds very... human. Imperfect, but very sincere and from the heart, especially Tuomas' vocals. His accent is almost ridiculous, but I can find the beauty in his performance on "Beauty and the Beast" for example. It's also far less pretentious than the next albums (and definitely 3 levels of pretentiousness lower than their last two).

I also like the fact that this album is devoid of the diabetes-inducing ballads of the next few albums like "Swanheart", "Kuolema Tekee Taitelijan" or "Away". The ballads and slow songs here are actually either quite twisted ("Nymphomianiac") or just plain folky like the "Lappi" suite.
Loading...
30.09.2012 - 02:37
Ellrohir
Heaven Knight
The biggest problem of original "Beauty and the Beast" is that Tony Kakko simply destroys Tuomas' performance with his live appearance regarding the songwriting it is one of best NW tracks ever

"Nymphomaniac Fantasia" has weird lyrics and the main riff is stolen from Running Wild's "Final Gates", but i like it too

also "Tutankhamen" and opening "Elvenpath" are strong songs that i keep enjoying

so overall i say, this album is good enough...of course later are better
----
My rest seems now calm and deep
Finally I got my dead man sleep


Loading...
03.10.2012 - 00:13
Rating: 8
Azarath
Free as a.. Fish
I really like this one and if I were to rank Nightwish's albums this would be in 3rd or 4th place. Some of the lyrics are a bit silly* but there's a sense of naivety and... um, "innocence" here that can be refreshing after listening to the later albums. Plus, this album has two of my Top 5 Nightwish songs of all time.

So, there's that.








*Waiting for someone to ask "Aren't they always?"
Loading...
03.10.2012 - 23:42
Rating: 7
Milena
gloom cookie
Written by Azarath on 03.10.2012 at 00:13

*Waiting for someone to ask "Aren't they always?"

Ohai Azarath

I went back a bit and our first conversation actually wasn't about DT, but about Nightwish's lyrics.
So uhm, to come full circle (for now!) aren't they always?
----
7.0 means the album is good
Loading...
04.10.2012 - 23:00
Rating: 8
Azarath
Free as a.. Fish
Written by Milena on 03.10.2012 at 23:42

Ohai Azarath

I went back a bit and our first conversation actually wasn't about DT, but about Nightwish's lyrics.
So uhm, to come full circle (for now!) aren't they always?

Hi Milena

Yes, I remember that. I guess it depends on the person, personally I lack the ability to detect "cheese" (I must be missing that gland) so I can appreciate Nightwish's lyrics. Again, not in a "those are the greatest lyrics ever written" fashion, more of a "you know, that line/verse is actually pretty cool/clever". The earlier lyrics were sometimes silly/goofy but they had a certain naive charm - the more recent ones are much more serious (I don't want to use the word "pretentious" since that gets thrown around way too much), both in content and delivery, which can on occasion make them dumb and/or cringeworthy.
Loading...
01.01.2013 - 17:31
Rating: 9
NocturnalStalker
Metal Addict
They say that first love always remains in your memory. Well, in my case my first musical love was Nightwish, and it was this album that opened up a new wonderful world for me. For that reason it's hard for me to objective about this album. Moreover, I don't think there is any point in trying to be objective when it comes to art. Therefore I can confess that I still love this album and, despite its naivety (or maybe particularly because of it), it sounds more interesting both musically and lyrically to my ears that the band's recent efforts (yes, I don't like both "Dark Passion Play" and "Imaginaerum" ).
----
"And we are not who we think we are
We are who we're afraid to be"
- Lux Occulta "The Opening of Eleventh Sephirah"
Loading...
10.05.2014 - 00:12
Rating: 9
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
What a masterpiece, best album from this band. excellent... true gothic metal, we dont use such therm nowadays, we say some bullshit ''female fronted metal'' what is NOT A GENRE, or some prog, symphonic, operatic what sucks, to much keys, to much prog, we all know it does suck big time , this ws pure gothic sound, great Tarja, less keys, well they were where they must have, not to much, not lame prog bullshit... seems century media and nuclear blast do aas ruin band ''demo'' sound... this simply was blast, we will not have such bands, and NW seems only what they have left is lyric writing.
----
Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!!

Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''
apos;'
[image]
I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
Loading...
28.05.2015 - 17:39
Rating: 9
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
----
Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!!

Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''
apos;'
[image]
I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
Loading...
27.07.2015 - 21:35
Rating: 6
Ruchesko

Proof even Holopainen hasn't always had the Midas touch.
Loading...
07.08.2016 - 20:01
Joppe
Steelemeister
Not sure if I've ever heard this one before; if not it must've been some shitty review that made me listen to something else instead and skip this album. Anyway, I'm listening to it now and it seems to be good stuff, probably even the most interesting NW album.
----
My vision is augmented
Loading...
31.01.2018 - 07:54
Tatsella
Fangirl
So underrated D:
Elvenpath and Astral Romance are dope, I'd say it two my favourite tracks from NW. Low point: Lappi. Just not my thing.
Loading...
13.08.2018 - 23:23
Rating: 9
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Written by Tatsella on 31.01.2018 at 07:54

So underrated D:
Elvenpath and Astral Romance are dope, I'd say it two my favourite tracks from NW. Low point: Lappi. Just not my thing.


I agree this is their best !!!
----
Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!!

Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''
apos;'
[image]
I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
Loading...
18.08.2018 - 22:23
Rating: 1
🦇Enchantress

This is not gothic metal. I don't know why it has been labeled as gothic metal.
----
Good has power to create, preserve and destroy but only Devil has a power to possess
Loading...
18.02.2020 - 22:36
Rating: 9
Metal Rasputin

I remember hearing some of these songs by accident back in the day. Originally I though they were from Wishmaster or Oceanborn, but nope. Even their debut, consisting mostly from their older demo songs, is amazing stuff. "Beauty and the Beast", "Tutankhamen" and "Elvenpath" used to be my favorite songs from them until Oceanborn really hit me in the right place. However, it gets weaker at the latter part, so no full 10 this time from me.
----
You've got a lot of guts. Let's see what they look like!
Loading...
19.02.2020 - 09:09
Rating: 9
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Written by Metal Rasputin on 18.02.2020 at 22:36

I remember hearing some of these songs by accident back in the day. Originally I though they were from Wishmaster or Oceanborn, but nope. Even their debut, consisting mostly from their older demo songs, is amazing stuff. "Beauty and the Beast", "Tutankhamen" and "Elvenpath" used to be my favorite songs from them until Oceanborn really hit me in the right place. However, it gets weaker at the latter part, so no full 10 this time from me.


How old are you?
IMO its pure, its innocent it comes from heart n feelings, its nature suroundet well in those days you guys had a winter in Helsinki lol
Band inspired from all things around, its typical Scandinavian , tropical people dont know what I mean here, how we grew up in pre i net era in ice n snow.
Thats creation of never dying masterpiece
----
Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!!

Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''
apos;'
[image]
I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
Loading...
16.04.2020 - 22:51
abysss

This album is so underrated, it's literally magical. The acoustic parts contribute to create a very unique atmosphere, I love it!
I also love the parts where Tuomas is singing, I find his singing very solid, despite multiple criticism I hear around the internet.
Loading...
16.04.2020 - 23:29
Rating: 9
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Written by abysss on 16.04.2020 at 22:51

This album is so underrated, it's literally magical. The acoustic parts contribute to create a very unique atmosphere, I love it!
I also love the parts where Tuomas is singing, I find his singing very solid, despite multiple criticism I head around the internet.

100 % agree here, their best
----
Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!!

Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''
apos;'
[image]
I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
Loading...
20.06.2023 - 09:44
Rating: 6
majormalfunction

While this album has potential it has a lot of typical debut album flaws. There's a huge lack in the memorability, mainly the choruses and vocal melodies feels a bit all over the place and the shaky performance by both Tuomas and Tarja are not helping that. The production is also lacking and doesn't bring out the best out of the material. Opening Elvenpath is the best song with Beauty and the Beast as a close second, songs like The Carpenter and Know Why The Nightingale Sings works but falls a bit flat. The rest is just there.
----
Everything's twice as bright with money in your hands
Loading...
12.07.2023 - 03:35
Rating: 5
24emd
Theory Snob
Agreed. The production feels so flat, and tbh the songwriting isn't much better. The riffs are occasionally quite good, easily the best part of early Nightwish.
----
"I am too stupid to be human, and I lack common sense." - Proverbs 30:2
"Music? Well, it's just entertainment, folks!" - Devin Townsend

Best 2024 Albums
Loading...

Hits total: 17411 | This month: 52